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Education News

For back issues of this newsletter, as well as current and back issues of our state newsletters and U.S. Education News, please visit our newly-redesigned website: http://www.queuenews.com/

Missouri Public Schools Advanced Placement

Student Participation

10.7% increase in the number of students participating between 2005 and 2006

In 2006: 8,417 Missouri Public School Students took AP Exams

In 2005: 7,604 Missouri Public School Students took AP Exams

In 2001: 4,730 Missouri Public School Students took AP Exams

In 1996: 2,708 Missouri Public School Students took AP Exams

• Since 2001, the number of Missouri Public School students participating in AP increased by 3,687 or 77.9%.

Exams Taken

4.0% increase in the number of AP Exams taken between 2005 and 2006

In 2006: Missouri Public School Students took 13,633 AP Exams

In 2005: Missouri Public School Students took 13,108 AP Exams

In 2001: Missouri Public School Students took 7,622 AP Exams

In 1996: Missouri Public School Students took 3,903 AP Exams

• Since 2001, the number of AP Exams taken by Missouri Public School students increased by 6,011 or 78.9%.

Exams Scored 3 or higher

5.0% increase in the number of AP Exams scored 3 or higher between 2005 and 2006

In 2006: Missouri Public School Students scored 3 or higher on 9,162 AP Exams

In 2005: Missouri Public School Students scored 3 or higher on 8,727 AP Exams

In 2001: Missouri Public School Students scored 3 or higher on 5,002 AP Exams

In 1996: Missouri Public School Students scored 3 or higher on 2,782 AP Exams

• Since 2001, the number of AP Exams scored 3 or higher taken by Missouri Public School students increased by 4,160 or 83.2%.

To read the complete, highly detailed report on Missouri, please go to:

http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/news_info/ap/2007/missouri_ap-report_07.pdf

U.S. Chamber Report Card on Education Says
States Failing our Students, Risking our Future

Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness graded all 50 states and Washington, DC, on nine broad categories including academic achievement, return on investment, truth in advertising, rigor of standards, and data quality.

Missouri scored 1 A, 2 B’s, 1 C and 5 D’s, including a D in Academic Achievement.

A summary of Missouri’s scores is available online.: http://www.uschamber.com/icw/reportcard/default

To see the full report:

http://www.uschamber.com/NR/rdonlyres/ej5ny2pjqrdchnsde2sqo2hj2ybch7xf7gw2wjhwbxfvfxvpu7r54syv637naxtxbgqx3q73u74vaa/Resource1.pdf

Show Me Institute

The Show Me Institute is a research and educational institute dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Missouri by advancing sensible, well-researched solutions to state and local policy issues.

The Institute’s scholars study public policy problems and develop proposals to increase economic opportunity for ordinary Missourians. It then promotes those solutions by publishing studies, briefing papers, and other educational materials, which help policymakers, the media, and the general public gain a better understanding of the issues.

Show Me Institute Says

“ The Saint Louis school board has descended into chaos. The previous superintendent, Creg Williams, was ousted in July after just 15 months on the job. Board president Veronica O’Brien championed the selection of Diana Bourisaw as Williams’s replacement. But just three months later, the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the two women were no longer on speaking terms. Shifting political alliances and personality conflicts have produced six superintendents in the last five years. This has made it difficult for superintendents to set long-term goals, and made it impossible for the fractious school board to hold anyone accountable for their results. It is simply naïve to imagine Saint Louis schools will improve amidst this kind of discord and leadership turnover. What the district needs is decisive, consistent leadership.”

Show Me Institute Report: LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP

ASSESSING THE CASE FOR MAYORAL

CONTROL OF URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEMS

Today, a number of large cities— including Chicago, Boston, and New York—have school boards appointed by the mayor where they once had elected boards. Supporters of mayoral control contend that this gives urban districts the focused, energetic leadership they need to enact tough reforms. They regard mayoral control as a way to overcome the dysfunctional school boards that have been a legacy of the early 20th century Progressive school reforms.

Boston is a model of how this can work when done well. Boston’s mayor was given control of the school board in 1991 and a few years later tapped Thomas Payzant, a former San Diego superintendent, to run the system. In 2006, Payzant concluded a heralded 11-year run as the district claimed the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Consistent mayoral support from the stolid Tom Menino throughout Payzant’s tenure gave him the time he needed to right a troubled district.

A similar success story may be unfolding in New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was given control of the New York City school board in 2002. While they have not proceeded without controversy, Bloomberg’s policies have generally received high marks. It is too early to judge the success of the Bloomberg-Klein reforms, but it is clear that they have moved New York past the confusion and petty turmoil that currently bedevils Saint Louis.

What the Research Says

Unfortunately, the research is largely indeterminant and there exist very few rigorous empirical studies on the effects of mayoral control. Just one study, a 2003 analysis by Kenneth Wong and Francis Shen, has examined multiple districts and reported quantifiable benefits associated with mayoral control. The researchers found mayoral control to be linked to increases in student achievement, especially in the elementary grades. They also found positive effects on financial and administrative management. Given their small sample size and the unavoidable selection bias inherent in the sample, the findings should be treated with due caution.

In 2005, Wong and Shen conducted another analysis, examining finances and staffing in the nation’s 100 largest urban school districts. They reported that mayoral takeovers did not deliver the promised boost in financial stability and concluded that “no general consensus is emerging about the overall effectiveness of mayoral takeover.”

The handful of systematic studies that preceded Wong and Shen’s efforts reported equally ambiguous results. A 1967 study examined 67 large cities to determine how the structure of school districts effects educational outcomes and found “no significant differences in educational outcomes between school systems with elected and appointed boards.” A 1978 study of elected school boards did not find any compelling evidence that elected school boards are more responsive to public demands.

A 1997 case study of mayoral control in Chicago found some evidence that appointed officials were “less accountable to particular constituencies and… therefore, better able to put system-wide concerns above constituency demands.” But the research made clear that this may have been due to Chicago’s unusually strong and engaged mayor.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Most of the scholarly research on the merits of appointed school boards has focused on theoretical considerations and anecdotal evidence. Critics of elected boards contend that a lack of attention and electoral involvement makes it difficult for voters to hold their representatives even loosely accountable. This voter apathy, in turn, can enable well-organized interest groups, such as public employee unions, to exert disproportionate influence. Elected boards have also been blamed for a lack of coherence and continuity, a lack of discipline, and a tendency to micromanage. And finally, elected school boards operate in isolation from the city’s political and civic leadership, cutting them off from valuable sources of political capital to pursue needed reforms.

On the other hand, scholars raise several important concerns about appointed boards. Appointed boards tend to be less transparent than elected boards, and minority voices are more likely to be silenced or marginalized. There is also a risk that politically savvy mayors and their appointed boards may eventually settle into comfortable accommodations with special interest groups. Mayors themselves can also be a problem if they politicize school boards in self-serving ways or neglect education in favor of other issues.

Washington, D.C., provides a cautionary tale. In 2000, the D.C. school board was amended to include four mayoral appointees and five members elected by the public. This “hybrid” model was hailed as a superior alternative to straight mayoral control. Today, the hybrid design is widely regarded as ineffectual.

In fact, former mayor Anthony Williams, after pushing for the plan, eventually derided his partial authority over the school board as “trying to drive a car with one pedal.”

For a city like Saint Louis, which has had six superintendents in four years and where leadership has been additionally fractured by public disputes between school board members, the superintendent, and the mayor, adopting mayoral control would seem to be a sensible and appropriate step. Transforming a sprawling, troubled urban school district is hard enough under the best of conditions; it may well be impossible when struggling with acrimonious and irresponsible governance.

To see the full report: http://showmeinstitute.org/smi_study_7.pdf

State Board De-accredits St. Louis Public Schools;
Businessman Nominated to Lead Transition Board

The State Board of Education voted today to de-accredit the St. Louis Public Schools, effective June 15. The action sets the stage for state intervention in the management of Missouri’s largest school district.

At its meeting in Jefferson City this morning, the board voted 5-1 to approve unaccredited status for the school district. The meeting was disrupted at one point by a crowd of St. Louis students chanting "no takeover!" One student was taken into custody after a scuffle with Capitol Police officers.

Immediately after approving the motion to de-accredit the school district, the board nominated Richard Sullivan, a prominent St. Louis businessman, to serve as chief executive officer of a three-person governing board that will be authorized by state law to take over the leadership of the school district when it becomes unaccredited.

By lunchtime, Gov. Matt Blunt announced that he has accepted Sullivan’s nomination to head the transitional school district board.

Sullivan is chairman of McBride and Son Homes, one of the nation’s largest home-building firms. The law requires that he be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Missouri Senate. The Senate could consider the appointment next week when it returns from its spring break.

Two other people must be appointed to serve with Sullivan as leaders of the transitional school district. Those appointments will be made by St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.

"This action is necessary because of steady declines in academic performance in the St. Louis Public Schools, concerns about long-term financial stability and turmoil in the district’s leadership," said Commissioner of Education D. Kent King, who urged the State Board of Education to approve the dramatic step.

The three-person governing board will assume full authority to oversee the St. Louis Public Schools on June 15. The existing board of education in St. Louis will continue to exist, but it will be rendered powerless.

State education officials have previously stripped two small school districts – Wellston (St. Louis County) and Wyaconda (Clark County) – of their accredited status, primarily as a result of the districts’ lagging academic performance.

What Happens When a School
District Becomes Unaccredited?

Frequently Asked Questions

Under state law (Section 161.092), the State Board of Education has the authority to classify (accredit) public school districts. Under the standards of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP), a school district may be given one of three ratings: Accredited, Provisionally Accredited, or Unaccredited. State law defines the penalties that may occur when a school district becomes unaccredited. (A "provisionally accredited" district is still considered to be "accredited" and is not subject to penalty.)

May students transfer from an unaccredited district to another district?

Yes, if another district will accept them. According to state law (Section 167.131), students in an unaccredited school district are eligible to transfer to an accredited district in the same or an adjoining county. Accredited districts, however, may accept or reject transfer students from an unaccredited district.

An unaccredited school district must pay the tuition and transportation costs for any student who elects to transfer to an accredited district. The unaccredited district may designate a single district to which students will be transported at its expense. Students who transfer to other districts would be responsible for their own transportation, but the unaccredited district would still be obligated to pay their tuition.

The student-transfer provision is one of the most serious consequences for a district that becomes unaccredited. If a significant number of students transfer to other districts, the cost of tuition and transportation could be devastating for the unaccredited district.

Does unaccredited status affect students’ diplomas?

This issue is not addressed by the law. Students who graduate from an unaccredited school district still receive diplomas. Presumably, they will have completed the coursework required by the state and met the local district’s requirements for graduation. As far as state education officials are concerned, the diploma of a student who graduates from an unaccredited school district is valid.

What about admission to college?

This issue is not addressed by the law. The unaccredited status of a school district should not have a negative impact on a student’s admission to a college or university. Higher education institutions typically consider multiple sources of information (transcript, ACT/SAT score, portfolio, recommendations, etc.) when determining whether to admit a student or award financial aid. Therefore, the fact that a student graduates from an unaccredited district should not disqualify the student from consideration.

However, higher education institutions set their own policies and criteria for admissions and awarding financial aid. Students who graduate from an unaccredited school district might face an obstacle when applying to some institutions.

What about eligibility for scholarships?

This issue is not addressed by the law. Students who graduate from an unaccredited school district should still be eligible for any scholarship for which they would otherwise qualify. An unaccredited rating reflects the performance of a school district, not the qualifications or accomplishments of any individual student. As far as state education officials are concerned, the unaccredited status of the school district should not disqualify a student from consideration for any scholarship or other financial aid.

What about eligibility for extracurricular activities?

This issue is not addressed by the law. The State Board of Education does not establish policies or rules regarding students’ academic eligibility to participate in interscholastic sports and other extracurricular activities. Eligibility is governed by the rules of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). Current MSHSAA bylaws allow students from an unaccredited school district to transfer one time to an accredited school district (with the unaccredited district paying tuition) and remain eligible for activities. When accreditation is regained, such students may transfer back to the home district and remain eligible.

When can the state "take over" an unaccredited school district?

State law defines several circumstances under which the State Board of Education may intervene in the governance and operation of a local school district. In most cases, a district must be unaccredited for two full school years before the state would have authority to intervene. This is what occurred, for the first time, in the Wellston School District in 2005. The law is Section 162.081, RSMo.

The same section of law authorizes the State Board of Education to intervene if a school district becomes bankrupt or is unable to function because of financial problems. This has occurred in the past with some small Missouri school districts. In cases such as this, accreditation status may or may not be a factor. State officials may intervene, immediately if necessary, to maintain school operations, assign students to other school districts, and protect the school district’s assets.

Another section of law (Section 162.1100) specifically authorizes the State Board of Education to intervene in the governance of the St. Louis Public Schools, through the creation of a "transitional school district." If the St. Louis school district becomes unaccredited, the law authorizes the creation of a three-person governing board to replace the local board of education. Under this law, there is not a two-year "grace period" for the school district to regain accreditation, as authorized in Section 162.081.

Missouri's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected
in 12th Annual National Awards Program

St. Joseph and Columbia students earn $1,000 awards,
engraved medallions and trip to nation’s capital

Honors also bestowed on other top youth volunteers in Missouri

Robert Schaaf, 18, of St. Joseph and Tessa Vellek, 13, of Columbia have been named Missouri's top two youth volunteers for 2007 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 12th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Robert was nominated by Central High School in St. Joseph, and Tessa was nominated by Smithton Middle School in Columbia. As State Honorees, each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees – one middle level and one high school youth – from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2007 at that time.

Robert, a senior at Central High School, established a community garden that has produced more than five tons of fresh produce over the past two years for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater St. Joseph. While volunteering at the food bank during Christmas vacation in 2004, Robert learned that there was a desperate need for more fresh produce. “Pondering this fact while sorting cans, I recognized it presented an exciting opportunity,” he said. “My vision: a charitable garden staffed by volunteers that would donate its produce to the food bank.”

Robert, who had helped his grandmother in her garden when he was young, was encouraged to pursue his vision by the food bank’s executive director. First, Robert persuaded Missouri Western State University to let him use a half-acre of its property for his “Never Grow Hungry Community Garden.” He then recruited a dozen classmates and several adults to help; researched agricultural techniques; and obtained donations of seeds, straw, tools and advice from farmers and nurseries. After meeting regularly to plant and tend their crops, Robert and his volunteers collected the harvest and delivered it to the food bank, which distributed the produce to hundreds of hungry clients. The food bank named Robert its Humanitarian of the Year, the first time a minor had received this honor.

Tessa, a seventh-grader at Smithton Middle School, is conducting an ongoing drive that has collected more than 5,000 new and gently used books for schools and shelters, and also raises money to provide books for disadvantaged youth who lack reading materials at home. Tessa began her volunteer work after seeing needy children on visits to India and Kenya. “I came home and quickly realized that youth in my community had some of the same needs,” she said. Believing that “education is the solution to many of the world’s problems,” she decided to focus on spreading her love of learning and reading to other young people in Columbia.

To support her book drive, Tessa makes flyers on her computer and distributes them to friends, neighbors, schools and businesses, and then recruits friends to help her collect, sort and deliver the donations. Sometimes she collects clothing, toys, food items and toiletries for local shelters, as well as books. For her “Books 4 Youth” project, Tessa solicits monetary donations that allow teachers to buy books and other learning materials for disadvantaged students to take home. Five elementary schools have received funds from Tessa, and two have started summer reading programs with the money. In addition, Tessa organized a bike/walk event after Hurricane Katrina that raised $71,000 for the American Red Cross. Tessa calls her activities “Euphoria,” “because of the happy feeling you get when you give to others,” she said.

In addition, the program judges recognized six other Missouri students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

Kelsie Fatino, 12, of Blue Springs, a seventh-grader at Brittany Hill Middle School, sewed 130 scarves and distributed them to homeless people through the City Union Mission. Kelsie, who had served food with her family at a soup kitchen and noticed how cold the homeless were, decided to teach herself how to sew so that she could make them warm scarves.

Melanie Goldstein, 16, of St. Louis, a junior at Clayton High School in Clayton, founded a charitable organization that collects CDs, CD players, headphones and “boom boxes” for children’s hospitals throughout the United States and Canada. Melanie, who also sponsors monthly concerts at nursing homes, has donated more than $17,000 worth of CDs and audio equipment to 11 hospitals since her program started in 2004.

Catherine Kruse, 18, of St. Louis, a senior at Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School, started a club that volunteers and raises money for St. Louis Variety, a nonprofit organization for kids in the St. Louis area with mental and physical disabilities. Catherine’s club has brought in more than $5,000 for the organization by holding a wide variety of fund-raising events over the past several years.

Nicholas Mozer, 12, of Blue Springs, a seventh-grader at Moreland Ridge Middle School, helped his family raise $100,000 for pediatric cancer research over the past three years by organizing a lemonade-sale fund-raising event in Kansas City. Nicholas and his family pursued this project in conjunction with a national charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stands, to honor his little brother who survived a struggle with neuroblastoma as an infant.

Marjorie Powers, 17, of St. Louis, a junior at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, campaigns against drug and alcohol abuse as the leader of a TREND (Turning Resources and Energy in New Directions) chapter at her school, and as a youth spokesperson for TREND and the Missouri Youth and Adult Alliance. Marjorie recruited fellow students to join her in her mission; organized a week of anti-drug activities at her school; and has spoken out about the dangers of substance abuse at many local, state and national events.

Kristi Williams, 18, of St. Joseph, a senior at Mid-Buchanan R-V High School in Faucett, created a community garden and mini-orchard in 2003 and has since donated more than 70,000 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruit to the needy. She also has cultivated and donated thousands of garden plants to the needy so that they could grow them and reap an annual harvest.

Maysville High School "Three-peats" 
As LifeSmarts State Champions

A team of students from Maysville High School won the 2007 Missouri LifeSmarts state competition held February 28 in Jefferson City.

LifeSmarts (www.lifesmarts.org) is a consumer education program of the National Consumers League. The "quiz bowl" competition tests teens in grades 9-12 about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology and consumer rights and responsibilities.

The Maysville team, dubbed the "Savvy Consumers," narrowly won the championship round over Bismarck High School’s "Brains from B Town." The team from Sherwood High School, "The Marksmen," captured third place in their first year of LifeSmarts competition.

"My team and I were very excited and honored to win," said Allison Miller, team captain from Maysville. "We had studied hard and thought the competition was stiff, but we were able to come out ahead."

The Maysville team will take part in the national LifeSmarts competition at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, April 21-24, during Financial Literacy Month.

"Tech-Prep" Students of the Year

State education officials honored 13 students as Tech-Prep Students of the Year in a ceremony at the Capitol in Jefferson City. The honorees and their schools are:

Skyler Amos, Platte County R-3 High School

Kirsten Lynch, Warrensburg High School

Brian Dukote, Grandview High School, Hillsboro

Nathan Shepherd, Eldon High School

Michael Cannon, Clopton High School, Clarksville

Christina Brown, Maryville High School

Brett Soendker, Moberly High School

Cory Bolin, Fort Osage High School, Independence

Brittney Butters, Bolivar High School

Jody Boyster, Potosi High School

Lamont Jones, South County Technical High School, Special School District of St. Louis County

Rachel Evans, North County Technical High School, Special School District of St. Louis County

Todd Derrick, Joplin High School

Students were selected on the basis of their commitment to career and technical education, academic achievement, involvement in school or community activities, leadership abilities, and their involvement in student organizations related to career and technical education.

"Tech-prep" focuses on academic and career education to prepare young people for postsecondary training in a technical field. All tech-prep students take part in so-called "2+2" programs, in which they take career-oriented classes during 11th and 12th grades, and then move directly into related studies at a community college, a technical school, or an apprenticeship program.

There are 15 regional tech-prep "consortiums" in Missouri, coordinated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Each consortium involves local high schools, area career and technical centers, community colleges and representatives of business, industry and labor. The groups work to coordinate curriculum, academic standards and policies, and articulation agreements so that students are able to move smoothly from high school into postsecondary studies.

This is the third year in a row a team fielded from Maysville High School has captured the title. Kathy Kaygay, family and consumer sciences teacher at Maysville, serves as the team’s coach.

"I am very proud of my team," Kaygay said. "It is so exciting to see students excel in an area that gives full credit and acknowledgement to the family and consumer sciences curriculum. I would encourage any teacher to become involved in LifeSmarts – it is a rewarding experience."

More than 100 high school teams across Missouri first competed online to qualify for the state finals. Each team consists of four students with an optional alternate. The nine highest-scoring teams were invited to participate in the statewide competition. The nine state finalists were:

· Maysville High School (first place)

· Bismarck High School (second place)

· Sherwood High School, Creighton (third place)

· Couch High School (two teams)

· Ft. Zumwalt South High School, St. Peters

· Montrose High School

· Southern Reynolds County High School, Ellington

· South Holt County High School, Oregon

Missouri LifeSmarts is sponsored by the career and student organization, Missouri Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). American Century Investments of Kansas City is the financial sponsor assisting with Missouri’s competition at the state and national levels.

15 High School Students Receive Citizenship Award

Fifteen public high school students are recipients of the 2007

Outstanding Achievement in Citizenship Award.

The citizenship award recipients are:

Kathryn Ayers, Parkway West High School

Trent Buatte, Lee’s Summit North High School

Jessica Catron, Warrenton High School

Stephanie Fleming, St. James High School

Clare Gillette, St. Charles High School

Sarah Ginsburg, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia

Jeff Goodman, Francis Howell North High School

Christopher Kopczynski, Webster Groves High School

Kyle Malinowski, Parkway South High School

Alexandra Pratt, Blue Springs South High School

Sarah Reeves, Eureka High School, Rockwood School District

Daniel Schuenemeyer, Scott City High School

Brandt Shields, Central High School, St. Joseph

Brittany Watz, Sullivan High School

Alison Wolfe, Camdenton High School

More than 30 students were nominated for the award. Educators and members of the Missouri Bar’s Advisory Committee on Citizenship Education reviewed the nominations and selected the winners.

Every public high school is eligible to nominate one senior for the award. Students are selected for the award on the basis of their academic achievement in civics and government courses, performance in civics and government-related extracurricular activities, and exemplary community service. Students also must submit an essay about the importance of citizenship.

The awards will be presented by Russell Thompson, member of the State Board of Education; D. Kent King, Commissioner of Education; and Ron Baird, president of The Missouri Bar. Each student will receive a plaque and a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.

CTB/McGraw-Hill Awarded Missouri Department of Education Contract for Statewide Assessment Program

The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill to Provide Missouri Student Reports

CTB/McGraw-Hill has announced an award from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to administer the statewide Missouri Assessment Program

(MAP). The contract begins with the fall 2007 school term and includes five annual renewal options from 2008 through 2012.

Under the contract, the content areas and grade levels tested will include Communication Arts in Grades 3-8 and 11, Mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 10, and Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11. CTB will develop custom test questions, and administer, score, and provide summary reports for educators and administrators that present overall district and school performance level reports.

The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill, a recognized leader in educational assessment reporting, will develop highly customized, individual student reports for families throughout Missouri. These individualized reports present and explain each student's performance on the MAP and provide additional resources designed to help families support their children's academic performance. The reports include clear visual indicators and concise explanations of students' overall scores and performance levels, with additional layers of detailed information for each subject area tested.

"Missouri has maintained a productive relationship with CTB/McGraw-Hill for more than 10 years," said Stan Johnson, DESE's assistant commissioner for the Division of School Improvement. "The MAP program has been a DESE/CTB joint venture since its inception, and together we've developed a unique assessment program that not only meets No Child Left Behind standards but gives us valuable tools for improving student achievement."

The MAP is built upon the Missouri Show-Me Standards of education as blended with CTB's TerraNova(R) family of research-based assessments to create a custom test for Missouri students that is aligned with the state's achievement levels. CTB and the DESE have collaborated to continuously update the MAP to meet federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, the Missouri Show-Me Standards, as well as provide exemplary test and educational resources that extend beyond regulatory requirements.

"Our work with Missouri has allowed us to develop a unique and outstanding assessment program while helping the State meet education requirements in the era of NCLB," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "This program provides vital information on student learning, as well as professional development opportunities for teachers and educational support for families."

Test items are the foundation of assessment programs, and DESE and CTB have developed a unique system for creating high quality material. CTB will hold workshops with DESE and Missouri teachers to create a test item pool, drawing on the collective knowledge of experienced teachers to write test items that provide targeted feedback to educators. The test item workshops, and subsequent field testing, are also used to provide professional development for Missouri educators.

About CTB/McGraw-Hill

As the nation's leading publisher of standardized and standards-based achievement tests for pre-school, elementary, middle, high school, and adult education, CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC offers a broad range of assessments, software and services. Additional information is available at http://www.ctb.com and http://www.mheducation.com.

About The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill

Established in March 2000, The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill has become a nationally recognized leader in educational assessment reporting. The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill's innovative patent-pending system offers dynamic reports and differentiated learning tools in print and online for families, teachers, and educational leaders. Additional information is available at http://info.grow.net/.

CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC and The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill are part of the Assessment and Reporting group of McGraw-Hill Education (MHE), a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). MHE is a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 40 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARE YOUR STUDENTS TRULY PREPARED? (Advertisement)

Education News

Missouri Public Schools Advanced Placement

Student Participation

U.S. Chamber Report Card on Education Says States Failing our Students, Risking our Future

Show Me Institute

Show Me Institute Report: LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP

State Board De-accredits St. Louis Public Schools; Businessman Nominated to Lead Transition Board

What Happens When a School District Becomes Unaccredited?

Missouri's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 12th Annual National Awards Program

Maysville High School "Three-peats" As LifeSmarts State Champions